Talk about clinching in style.
The Milwaukee Brewers became the first National League team to punch their postseason ticket Friday by demolishing the Cincinnati Reds 20-0 at American Family Field.
TWENTY runs for the @Brewers! pic.twitter.com/0FD33dVDx0
— MLB (@MLB) September 12, 2026
The Brewers ensured there would be no drama Friday by setting a record for the largest margin of victory ever on the day a team clinched its playoff spot, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com. It's also the second time they scored 20 in a game this year, after a 22-0 beatdown of the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 18. Milwaukee is the first team in MLB history to have multiple 20-plus run shutouts in one season, per Langs.
Milwaukee has made the playoffs in four straight years and eight of the last nine seasons. Prior to this run beginning in 2018, the franchise had just four playoff berths in its first 48 seasons.
It's been another magical season for the Brewers, who own baseball's best record at 92-56. Milwaukee's offense sports the highest OBP and has scored the second-most runs in the majors despite hitting the fewest homers in the NL. On the pitching side, the Brewers' staff - led by NL Cy Young frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski - has allowed the fourth-fewest runs this year while sporting the Senior Circuit's lowest ERA.
The team's next order of business is locking up a fourth straight NL Central crown. Milwaukee's 10 games up on the rival Chicago Cubs, and its magic number to clinch the division is now four. The Brewers also sit 1.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL's top seed.
Come October, the Brewers will be looking to finally get over the hump and reach the World Series for the first time since 1982. They finished with the best record in baseball last year but were swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS.
The Brewers have never won a World Series title in their 57-year history.
